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It’s funny that I came across this article today, because I was getting ready to get in the shower before and happened to see myself in the buff — in the mirror — before entering my hot, wet closet. My first thought, whether valid or not, was, “Ugh.”
I really want to know: is anyone nowadays truly happy with their figures or faces?
The New York Times spins a story on whether a person suffers from body dysmorphic disorder, or if it’s just a matter of “ordinary” unhappiness with one’s self. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a disease where the afflicted patient is obsessed with a particular flaw on their body, even if there is no flaw or even if it’s not apparent to others.
I’m the first to admit: while I’m a super-happy woman with tons of things to be grateful for, I find myself getting hung up over the most menial of physical “flaws” that I see in myself. To a point, I think it’s a pretty natural thing to compare one’s self to a person with a “better” nose, backside or chest, really. Right or wrong, I’m convinced that anyone who says that they’re truly 100% satisfied with each and every aspect of their physical being has either undergone some serious plastic surgery, is deluded or has worked their asses off in the gym and with dieting in order to attain their own personal level of perfection.
The survey in the New York Times states that approximately 56% of all women were dissatisfied with their appearance on some level. 43% of men answered similar questions and were found to be at odds with their appearance as well. While these numbers are apparently high, physicians polled state that only >1% to 2.4% of the population that presented their ill feelings about their bodies actually suffered from BDD.
The Times states that there are many nuances that go along with a true diagnosis of BDD:
First, people with B.D.D. are preoccupied with their perceived appearance flaws. On average, they think about their perceived flaws for three to eight hours a day. Nearly everyone with B.D.D. is preoccupied for at least an hour a day, and about one quarter are for more than eight hours a day. In addition, most people with B.D.D. feel that they have only limited control or no control over these thoughts.
Second, to qualify for a diagnosis of B.D.D., the appearance preoccupations must cause clinically significant distress and emotional suffering or impairment in functioning. For example, B.D.D. can make a person feel depressed, anxious, or even suicidal. Or it can interfere with a person’s ability to hold a job or do one’s job, go to school, have friendships or an intimate relationship, take care of children, manage a household or leave the house.
In addition, emerging scientific evidence suggests that people with B.D.D. differ from those without the condition in terms of how they cognitively and visually process certain types of information — for example, they tend to over-focus on tiny details. Such studies are beginning to shed important light on brain processes in B.D.D. and may ultimately lead to even better treatments.
So, I guess in short, I should STFU about the extra pound or two that I like to call my “saddlebags.” I should probably quit pissing and moaning about that stubborn five pounds that I cannot. seem. to drop. Being that I positively do not think about my body’s flaws three to eight hours a day, I hardly have a leg to stand on in my complaining.
As I said above, I think it’s a perfectly natural thing to fret over something that can or cannot be changed in an individual’s appearance, but once you cross that threshold into obsessing about and depressing upon the flaws that more than likely make you you, it obviously becomes a huge, huge problem. Maybe we should all take a page out of the Big Book of Self-Confidence and be thankful for what we do have.
Myself included.
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Nowadays? have people ever been completely happy with their appearance all the time? My guess is not. I will never be drop dead gorgeous and I am perfectly fine with that, yeah I have days where I look in the mirror nude and shudder but most days I don’t even think about my appearance as long as I don’t smell and feel reasonably clean. But if I do think about it of course there are some things I would fantasize about being or changing, it’s normal to feel longing to be better as long as it doesn’t get out of hand like true BDD does.
What I am finding harder to handle is the impact that age has on one’s body! God….I now have “old” skin and weight seems to shift around overnight!
I have recently discovered the magic of my appearance changing overnight. And I have yet to discover how it works, exactly. Between (rare) sporadic drinking, smoking, unhealhty food-eating and sleepless episodes, some days I look fantastic and get ID’d for cigarettes and sometimes I look like a Twilight extra.
I just think you can find the flaws on yourself much more easily than on others, simply because you are more familiar with your own body. Then again, other people probably see my nose more often than I do, and they tell me it’s not nearly as big as I think it is.
Well, if more than 50% of the population is obese, then 43-56% of the population probably should be unhappy with their appearance. If you really do have extra fat, it’s not dysmorphic to find it unappealing. It’s not wrong to think of yourself as less than perfect. BDD is a lot more than just thinking ‘ugh’ with a glance in the mirror.
This reminded me, I just recently saw a picture of a girl I used to know and barely recognized her, in the past year she has easily gained 100 lbs probably more, she used to be a not skinny but slim girl and was very pretty (nice but annoying as hell somehow) and I was just stunned and depressed at how young people are becoming basically crippled with obesity.
I don’t think fat people should be unhappy with their appearance, just motivated to do something about it. When I look in the mirror I don’t think I look gross and I certainly don’t spend any time dwelling on my appearance. I am fully aware that I need to change it for my health but that’s not the same thing.
I guess I would view it as being happy with myself, but still aware that there are parts to improve. Different people would view different ways.
I just find it like, when someone is depressed – sometimes is a major chemical issue. Sometimes your life just sucks, and something really does need to change.
I think everyone has their bad days, it’s rare to find someone who is totally unhappy with the way they look 24/7
EVERYONE has things that they don’t like about themselves.
I hate my skin. I’m convinced I’ll never, ever have a clear, pretty complexion. But, on the other hand, I have stunning eyes and a cute button nose.
I’m not 100% happy with my body–my butt and thighs are way too big to be proportionate to my itty bitty boobs. But, I’m certainly not fat–and in this day and age, that’s something to be thankful for.
I have godawful toenails. I got this grody infection or something awhile back that never went away, and as far as I know there’s nothing I can do to cure them. So I just paint them and pray nobody finds out. But, in exchange for that, I have really nice calves.
Whenever you find a flaw, you’ve got to remind yourself of your good qualities. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you don’t.
Oh my goodness, I’m in the disproportionate boobs/ass category too! It’s kind of a bummer, but I actually do like my butt so it’s all good.
I have BDD. I have big problems with my stomach and lips. I annoy the crap out of my fiance because I’m always poking my stomach, pulling pants up over that ridge thing that separates your stomach and your lady parts, or atleast I have something that looks like a ridge there were it sticks out more. Or pinching it. Or looking at it to see if it’s sticking out a micrometer more than it was earlier today and whether I should eat later on or not. Or trying to suck in farther. Or just obsessing about it in general, and it never stops. I haven’t been as bad about my lips lately. I used to spend 20 minutes or more lining them to make them look big and perfect. I still really hate them, but I’ve got it more under control than I used to.
When I was 14 and on my first year of high-school I stupidly began a series of bad habits that lead me to eating disorders that I was fortunate enough to be rescued from…back then. What is not good, though is that those ghosts never go away…they linger.
A few months ago I moved to another city, all by myself to do my master’s. Along with some very strict eating habits, dieting and loneliness, I lost about 25 lbs. I began feeling great and was eager to indulge in shopping nice, SMALL, clothes.
Yesterday I was talking to my friends and I had to make a confession to them. After losing all that weight, I’m leaner than I have ever been in the last 10 years. My clothes fit fine and I can wear pretty much anything. The hard thing is, when I look in the mirror, I still see the “fat girl” that I was last summer…I know that is a huge BDD case…I haven’t realized I look “thin and great” (as they say) and I still want to loose some more weight. I have to gain control about this situation soon…I don’t want to end up like when I was 14 and was severely sick (anemic, weak, dry and flaky skin, pale, etc.)
[...] body – damn! oh la la † body dysmorphic disorder: running rampant in today's society? zelda lily † say hello to bon jovi's little friend (the one in his pants) tabloid prodigy † [...]
[...] body – damn! oh la la † body dysmorphic disorder: running rampant in today's society? zelda lily † say hello to bon jovi's little friend (the one in his pants) tabloid prodigy † [...]